The present invention relates to CATV systems generally and more particularly to CATV systems which provide additional services to subscribers.
Existing CATV systems employ radio-frequency (RF) links, such as cable and satellite links, or optical links using fiber-optic cables for transmission of TV program material. CATV systems which provide transmissions only from a headend to a plurality of subscribers are called one-way systems. CATV systems which additionally involve transmissions from subscribers"" units are called two-way systems.
Some of the one-way systems also employ a telephone link for transmission of management data to the subscribers, while others transmit the management data via the RF or optical links.
Current two-way CATV systems transmit TV and audio programs via cable or satellite and receive data from subscriber units via telephone links. Such systems are hereinafter termed xe2x80x9ccombination telephone-radio frequency CATVxe2x80x9d systems. The data received is mainly CATV subscriber viewing data, subscriber program ratings and the like.
In order to enable telephonic communications, the available CATV converters incorporate modem units which are directly coupled to existing telephone links.
Descriptions of prior art telephonic transponders which are also suitable for CATV systems may be found in several patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,492 to Lumsden describes a remote meter reading transponder which includes a modem. U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,640 to Binnie et al. describes a system for interrogating remote stations via an automatic dialer.
Neither the existing one-way CATV systems nor the two-way systems available today are used to provide services to subscribers. Although existing two-way systems employ telephonic modems, they are mainly used for communication management and for subscriber viewing data readout. Today, telephonic communication via a modem is mostly done at low data rates and for short periods over long intervals, thus leaving the telephonic modems unexploited for long periods.
In an article named xe2x80x9cAn Evolutionary Approach to the Development of Two-Way Cable Technology Communicationxe2x80x9d by J. B. Wright, M. P. Block and D. S. McVoy in IEEE Transactions on Cable Television, Vol. CATV-2, No. 1, January 1977, mention is made of proposed two-way CATV systems in which electronic automated newspaper, second class mail and on demand catalogs will be distributed to subscribers.
The present invention seeks to provide CATV systems having significant additional applications such as facsimile, electronic-mail (E-mail), voice-mail and mail. The term xe2x80x9cCATVxe2x80x9d is used throughout the specification and claims in an unusually broad sense to include cable television networks as well as satellite television and pay television generally. The term xe2x80x9cmailxe2x80x9d is used throughout the specification and claims in a broad sense to include any written or printed material such as the type which is usually delivered to households such as bills, credit card statements, advertising, messages from institutions etc. The term xe2x80x9cmailxe2x80x9d does not include CATV programming billing data and messages related to programming from CATV operators.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term xe2x80x9cencryptxe2x80x9d in all of its forms will be used in a broader than usual sense to cover all forms of data encoding, ranging from simple scrambling or encoding to hard encryption.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a CATV system including:
a CATV network;
a multiplicity of subscriber units;
apparatus for transmitting over the CATV network encrypted information individually addressed to a subscriber unit; and
apparatus associated with each of the multiplicity of subscriber units for decoding the encrypted information addressed thereto.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a CATV system including:
a CATV network;
a multiplicity of subscriber units;
apparatus for transmitting facsimile information over the CATV network; and
a facsimile unit associated with at least one of the multiplicity of subscriber units for receiving facsimile information over the CATV network.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a CATV system including:
a CATV network;
a multiplicity of subscriber units;
apparatus for transmitting information over the CATV network; and
a hard copy output unit for providing a hard copy output of information received via the CATV network.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a CATV system including:
a CATV network;
a multiplicity of subscriber units;
apparatus for transmitting mail over the CATV network addressed to at least one subscriber unit; and
apparatus associated with each of the multiplicity of subscriber units for receiving the mail addressed thereto.
Preferably each of the multiplicity of subscriber units includes a television and a CATV converter.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the CATV converter has associated therewith the apparatus for decoding the coded information addressed thereto.
Preferably the encrypted information includes scrambled information, which may be, for example, facsimile information, E-mail information, voice-mail information and mail.
It is appreciated that the features of the various embodiments described above may be combined in any suitable useful combination.
Preferably, the CATV system further includes:
a keyboard for entering information to be transmitted via a telephone link;
a processor for preparing the information in a format suitable for transmission over the telephone link; and
a unit for transmitting over the telephone link at least one of mail, facsimile, electronic-mail and voice-mail information.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the CATV system further includes a memory unit for storing at least one of mail, facsimile, electronic-mail and voice-mail information.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the CATV system additionally includes at each subscriber unit a processor for receiving the information in a format suitable for transmission over the telephone link and converting the information to a form which is suitable for output to a user.
Preferably, the processor includes a converter for converting the information to a form suitable for display on a television receiver. Additionally or alternatively, the processor includes a converter for converting the information to a form suitable for hard copy output.
Preferably, the processor includes a memory for storing information received via the telephone link.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a CATV transmission method for use with a CATV network and a multiplicity of subscriber units including the steps of:
transmitting over the CATV network encrypted information individually addressed to at least one subscriber unit; and
at each of the multiplicity of subscriber units decoding the encrypted information addressed thereto.
Preferably the method also includes the step of decoding the encrypted information addressed to the subscriber unit.
Preferably the encrypted information includes scrambled information, which may be, for example, facsimile information, E-mail information, voice-mail information and mail.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a CATV transmission method for use with a CATV network and a multiplicity of subscriber units including:
transmitting facsimile information over the CATV network; and
receiving facsimile information over the CATV network at at least one of the multiplicity of subscriber units.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a CATV transmission method for use with a CATV network and a multiplicity of subscriber units including:
transmitting information over the CATV network; and
providing a hard copy output of information received via the CATV network.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a CATV method for use with a CATV network and a multiplicity of subscriber units including:
transmitting mail over the CATV network addressed to at least one subscriber unit; and
at each of the multiplicity of subscriber units receiving the mail addressed thereto.
It is appreciated that the features of the various methods described above may be combined in any suitable useful combination.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the CATV network is a combination telephone-radio frequency CATV network.
Preferably, the CATV network is a two-way CATV network.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the information is received via a telephone link. Preferably, the telephone link is the telephone link of the CATV network.
Preferably, the above methods also include the step of storing received information.
Preferably each subscriber unit receives the information in a format suitable for transmission over the telephone link and converts the information to a form which is suitable for output to a user.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, each subscriber unit converts the information to a form suitable for display on a television receiver. Alternatively or additionally, each subscriber unit converts the information to a form suitable for hard copy output.
Preferably, each subscriber unit stores information received via the telephone link.